Winners of awards for ethical advertising announced

“One Day without Shoes 2012” is a three-minute video of
people across the globe dressed for their normal routines, with one critical
difference: They aren’t wearing shoes.

From walking the chilly streets of London, to the urban
venues of Los Angeles and the plazas of Italy, the voluntarily barefoot
participants were part of an advertising campaign organized by Toms Shoes to
bring awareness to the economically disadvantaged.

“One Day” recently won the 2012 EthicMark® Award, an annual
award recognizing advertising that “uplifts the human spirit and society.”

EthicMark® Awards, presented recently at the yearly Sustainable Brands
London conference for sustainable brand innovators, is co-sponsored by the
University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, Ethical Markets LLC and
the World Business Academy.

“Notre Dame faculty and students are pleased to be a part of
this award, since it recognizes ethical advertising,” said Patrick E. Murphy,
Notre Dame marketing professor and co-chair of the awards presentation.
“Promoting responsible marketing practices is one of the hallmarks of Notre
Dame’s Department of Marketing.”

Toms is a for-profit venture built on a business model of
giving one pair of new shoes to a person in need for each pair sold. “One Day
without Shoes” encouraged people to go barefoot for a day to raise awareness
about the less fortunate.

EthicMark Awards also went to nonprofit co-winners Ten
Thousand Villages and the World Resources Institute (WRI). Ten Thousand
Villages, which helps artisans around the world earn a fair income through
fair-trade practices, won for its video, “World Fair Trade Day 2011.”  The video highlights the power of fair trade
to change the world for the better. 

WRI is a nonprofit that focuses on the environment and
economic development. Its winning video “Sunita”
–  created by WRI’s project, the Access
Initiative – teaches the value of access to information through a story about a
poor woman who faces the loss of her home and livelihood.

The EthicMark® Award recognizes socially responsible media
campaigns by businesses, nonprofit organizations or individuals, using either
the traditional media — print, radio, and television —or the new media—
Internet, cable and wireless communications. Individuals and organizations can
nominate their own campaigns or those of others.

The criteria for a nomination includes advertising that
demonstrates an adherence to the highest ethical standards; a respect for
consumers as human beings, a support for a diversity of cultural and religious
values; the promotion of a healthy lifestyle, social responsibility and
environmental stewardship; and an intent to uplift the human spirit and society.

Entries are judged by a panel of academics, business
executives and World Business Academy members. For more information, visit the EthicMark website
or contact Deborah Coch, Marketing Department assistant, at (574) 631-6072 or Deborah.M.Coch.1@nd.edu.

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